Castro Gives Speech at Havana Assessment Meeting
FL1111003693 Havana Radio Rebelde Network in Spanish 2200
GMT 8 Nov 93
FL1111003693
Havana Radio Rebelde Network
Spanish
BFN
[Speech by Cuban President Fidel Castro at the closing of
the Havana Communist Party of Cuba, PCC, Assessment Meeting at
Havana Convention Center on 7 November -- recorded]
[Text] Comrades, I will not raise my voice or pitch too
long because I have not been very lucky with my throat. It is
nothing serious, just a thwarted cold.
We have finally held the provincial Communist Party of Cuba
[PCC] meeting in Havana City Province. This is something we had
all awaited with great interest because we know that Havana
plays an extraordinary role in the life of the country,
precisely because it is the most difficult, conflicting region
for the tasks of the PCC, the government, and the Revolution.
Despite all the things we spoke of, and some that are written
here -- all quite true -- about the great, outstanding, and
glorious history of Havana, Havana is also the most difficult
place for the Revolution. We also mentioned this during the
elections.
Our assembly, in which I have had the privilege of
participating without missing a single minute, began with
Glenda's words, summarizing the work done during this period,
the most difficult period. I must add that I was truly impressed
by the number of things the PCC has accomplished under such
difficult conditions. I am not going to repeat them. It is not
necessary. However, there is one fact that is particularly
noteworthy: the fact that despite our problems, despite the
special period, infant mortality is at 8.9. Infant mortality in
Washington [D.C] is about three times higher than that of the
capital of the Socialist Republic of Cuba during its special
period, blockaded, and even doubly blockaded following the
demise of the socialist bloc. [applause] This is very
significant.
I must add that our assembly has had a quality level
unequaled in any previous period of the Revolution. This means
that the special period is turning us into better people, more
thorough, more efficient. It is also making us more responsible
and capable. It makes us seek the essence of things.
We began discussing the subject of tourism, a very
difficult,
complex, important, decisive subject. The Revolution did not
give tourism much thought for many years. Everything done in
this field had been done to benefit the people, only and
exclusively to benefit the people, since we opened all the
private clubs and beaches and built facilities throughout Cuba
for our people's enjoyment.
We did not plan extensive development of international
tourism. At a certain point we reached the conclusion that it
was a resource that needed to be exploited. This happened before
the collapse of the socialist bloc. Every country must live off
its natural resources. Despite the significance to our economy
of the socialist bloc's cooperation, our country, not having
large energy resources, needed to take advantage of our other
assets -- the sea, sun, pure air, and beauty of our land as a
way of developing wealth and wellbeing for the country. However,
tourism was not particularly developed. You know how many things
we have developed all these years to improve the lives of our
people, to build a fair society, and to forge an honorable
future.
Circumstances have made it necessary, however, to promote
this new activity with great impetus. Perhaps we should have
begun a little earlier. Perhaps it would have been better to
have begun a littler earlier. Earlier, we had already built
hotels for international tourism. Earlier still, say 10, 12, 14
years ago, we had overcome our prejudices against developing
tourism as a significant economic resource. At times, enmeshed
in the purity of our ideas, we feared that tourism would defile
us. I do not think this was correct, but it was a product of the
purity of our ideas and goals.
It was only after the emergence of exceptional circumstances
resulting from the collapse of the socialist bloc and the demise
of the USSR, when we saw a dire picture looming with many
consequences for Cuba, that international tourism was included
in our priority plans as a means of withstanding the emerging
situation and, above all, withstanding and overcoming the
special period. This was not, nor is, the only plan, but it is
undoubtedly becoming one of the plans that provides the most
promise. We discussed this subject in depth. We discussed it
very seriously and earnestly.
We analyzed our deficiencies. We analyzed the many problems
we must solve. We analyzed our great lack of knowledge. This was
natural since we were isolated for so many years. Even the
notion of how to manage a hotel, how to provide adequate
services was lost in Cuba. On the other hand, Cuba had never had
broad experience in this field. The tourism that had developed
in Cuba was related to gambling, drugs, prostitution, and many
other vices that contributed to developing a rejection of that
activity. It was natural for us not to have much experience,
while other countries acquired a great deal of experience.
We discussed here the need to accept foreign cooperation in
this field. We have not needed this in certain other fields
because we had reached levels of health care that no other Third
World country had, not even the socialist bloc. We achieved this
through our own people, our own experiences. Our universities
have trained our doctors. Our Revolution has generated the
concepts that resulted in great successes in health. We did not
need anyone to come and teach us about health because for more
than 30 years, we have worked in this field. Despite this, we do
not miss any opportunities to acquire knowledge abroad and
collect information and take advantage of everything useful in
the world. No matter how much we know, or believe we know about
something, we always need to go out into the world to seek those
things created by human intelligence that might be useful to us.
In terms of harvests, sugar mills, sugarcane cutter
brigades,
organizing contingents, mobilizations, we did not need to seek
much experience abroad because the Revolution had itself
developed a wealth of ideas in those fields. In the field of
war, yes, we have received knowledge and experience in terms of
organization, logistics, rearguard, modern techniques. However,
in terms of the basic ideas that Cuba follows today in defense,
these are the ideas that began developing in 1868 at the
beginning of our first war of independence, and are the ideas
that today inspire the doctrine of the war of all the people,
which is a truly Cuban idea. Despite this, we have not rejected
any international experience, such as that of the Vietnamese or
Western Saharan people, or that of any country in the world,
which always has something to contribute and something to teach
us. This is why, with much humility, we must always seek the
experience of others in order to incorporate it into our own
experience. This is the attitude we ought to have about
everything.
In terms of tourism, yesterday we stressed the importance of
the knowledge and experience being provided by foreign
specialists. This should not make us feel pained or humiliated,
nor should this damage our national identity or patriotic
spirit. On the contrary, we should be very grateful toward those
providing such experience.
Yesterday, it was demonstrated that our experience in this
field is minimal. This is, however, a field in which we must
learn as much as we can as fast as possible. It was demonstrated
here that we have lost time in assimilating and taking advantage
of those experiences. We have a vital need for this. I believe
that the discussion of this subject in the assembly enriched our
experience.
The discussion ranged from the analysis of what is happening
in the Este complex to the final briefing by Comrade Osmani. He
said some interesting things, such as the possibility that
someday we may need to welcome 10 million tourists. The income
accrued from 10 million tourists might range between $10 and $15
billion. The dollar has become the measuring stick, since it is
almost impossible to use other currencies for measuring because
at times, the rate is thousands or hundreds to a dollar. Let us
use the dollar figure.
He said that this could be achieved in a relatively brief
period of time. I also hold this conviction, but perhaps the
importance of all this could be better understood if we bear in
mind that we must rebuild the life of the country and above all,
rebuild the economic bases of our country and our development.
The loss of the socialist bloc and the USSR, the demise of the
latter state, was a terrible, stunning blow, a blow that makes
me wonder whether any other country or revolution could have
withstood it as we are evidently doing, and if there are even
solutions for such a great tragedy. In other words, we need to
rebuild everything we lost in that global catastrophe. In other
words, we need to rebuild what the socialist bloc and the USSR
meant to us. I can tell that in this area alone, working the way
we ought to work, we can rebuild what the socialist bloc and the
USSR meant to us in economic terms.
I believe we will be able to rebuild even more than what
that meant. If this is so, it explains the importance,
responsibility, and seriousness with which the subject was
discussed in this assembly. If someday we rebuild all that, we
will be better off than we were before all that was yet lost
because it would not lie in the hands of others; it would lie in
our hands. I am speaking of one single branch of the economy.
The development of this branch is not going to corrupt us
because there are countries that play host to up to 40 million
tourists, have developed a strong economy, and have not lost
their national identity. If we are someday able to welcome 10
million tourists, there is no reason to lose our national
identity and culture. On the contrary, we would perhaps have an
opportunity to strengthen our national identity and our cultural
-- and why not say it -- our political influence as well.
It is true what was said, that it is necessary that our
visitors not meet or have contact with marginal elements as had
happened on many occasions, but that they meet with the masses,
the best of our country, in order for them to know what our
country is and how our country is. More than worrying about
foreign influences, some people abroad should worry about how
much we can influence, and are in fact already exerting
influence in the world. [applause] If the fatherland, the
Revolution, and the accomplishment of socialism survive, our
influence will be great. Hundreds of millions in the world are
still beside themselves wondering how such a small country,
blockaded, and adjacent to the strongest superpower in the
world, has been able to resist and survive. This is why we say
that in resistance lies the victory. Cuba, without losing its
identity, without losing its principles, will have written an
unprecedented feat in the history of the world.
When we say that we are going to develop tourism, we are
saying that we are going to sell air, sea, and beauty. We are
going to market these natural resources, but not our principles,
our ideas, and our honor. We are going to strengthen our
principles, ideas, and honor when we are capable of overcoming
the colossal struggle in which we are engaged, when we are
capable of demonstrating that despite such difficult conditions,
we are able to overcome and defeat them.
Purity does not lie in a glass case. We must understand
this.
Cuba is not a woman locked in a convent, but a woman who travels
the world and remains chaste. Let us travel the world and remain
chaste. I repeat, purity in a glass case is worthless. [applause]
Yesterday, impressive things were said here, such as when
the
director of the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Research said that not one of his workers had defected from his
workplace to seek another job. In other words, no one had stolen
his cadres, technicians, or specialists to go to work in a
hotel. I am not saying that going to go work in a hotel is
undignified. On the contrary, we should honor hotel workers, who
are providing an important service and contributing in a
substantial manner to the Cuban economy. But he said that there
have been over 2,000 trips, if I remember well, in several years
and not one of the workers of that center and institute has
defected. This is significant for a country as besieged,
slandered, and blockaded as ours, a country withstanding so many
sacrifices.
Also amazing is what professor Sagarra [not further
identified] so wisely said about his experience with athletes,
about the value of education, the value of ideology, and the
thousands of trips those athletes have made, and that there has
been only one defection -- in 1991 -- and how he takes care of
and treats the athletes, how he actually educates every athlete,
how the medals increase every year. We earn more medals each
time. Who can compare with Cuba in sports directed by him?
The world, all the money in the world, and all the offers of
the world have not been able to steal our athletes away from us.
Therefore, the virtue lies in us, in our ideas, in our work, in
our ideology. These are worthless if they are, in themselves,
defenseless. There is no other country in the world against
which so many hours of radio broadcast, so many hours of
insidious and subversive propaganda have been aimed. In the
midst of such difficult conditions they have not been able to
destroy the Revolution because our strength lies in ourselves,
in our people, in our ideas, and in our ideology. These are the
weapons with which we can undertake this endeavor.
Thus, with no fear whatsoever, let us meet the challenge of
hosting 10 million tourists. Let us develop it as a key activity
that will be instrumental in helping us overcome the special
period, survive, achieve our development, and become stronger.
This is a realistic, a very realistic approach in a world in
which there is increasingly better communications. We are not
living in the Middle Ages, nor are we living -- how could we --
as the Siboney and Taino Indians, who lived on our island 400
years ago. We are living in a world in which people can travel
from one continent to another in a matter of hours. We are
living in a world of communications, of radio, of television, of
books, of long distance telephone connections, and there will be
increasingly greater communications among all countries. We need
to learn to live in this world. We need to become increasingly
better adjusted to it and better prepared to live in it. I am
expressing these ideas [words indistinct] all these matters
related to tourism.
At the rate of 10 cents each, these 10 million metric tons
of
sugar would bring us a gross income of $2 billion -- if there
was a market for 20 million metric tons and if the price was 10
cents, not 2 or 3, because if there was a sugar surplus...
[pauses] it would yield $4 billion.
At these prices, 30 million metric tons of sugar would bring
us a gross income of $6 billion. Just imagine what it would mean
to have a gross income of $10 billion, $12 billion, or $15
billion. Although it is true that sugar generates a gross income
with a lower cost per dollar, judging from what we have seen and
discussed here, we can also increasingly decrease our cost per
dollar in the area of tourism. We can do this almost to the
point of moving very close to the sugar production cost of 10
cents per dollar. Can you imagine how many canecutters, how many
combines, how much fuel, how much land, how much transportation
service, how many docks, how many ships, and what a gigantic
market would be necessary to produce and export 30 million
metric tons of sugar?
Today, of course, one metric ton of sugar is very important
to us. Earlier, it was even more important because at one time,
we received up to $800 per metric ton of sugar. That is, we were
receiving four times the income we are receiving today from each
metric ton of sugar. Besides, for the price of one metric ton of
sugar, we were able to buy five times as much oil as we can buy
today for the price of one metric ton. Oil supply is one of the
most devastating, terrible Achilles' heels of our economy. It
requires a minimum of 7 or 8 million of the nearly 13 million
metric tons we were consuming before the advent of the special
period. How much sugar must be produced and transported to
purchase a modest metric ton of oil today!
The special period is not taking place in the 60's, when we
could buy eight metric tons of oil for each metric ton of sugar.
It is taking place now, when we have been purchasing only 1.5
metric tons of oil for each metric ton of sugar. Producing 2
million metric tons of sugar less this year has dealt a terrible
blow to our country; a blow that meant losing nearly $500
million as a result of a combination of factors that I will not
repeat here. This is why this year has been so tough, so
dificult, so terrible. We had persistent rains during the
harvest. Later, during the spring months, we had an extended
drought. All of this did not affect the 1993 harvest, but it has
clearly affected the 1994 harvest.
I believe that since statistics have been kept, the rainfall
levels of June, July, and August have been the lowest. This has
not only affected sugarcane crops, but also self-sufficiency and
peasant crops. This year, we had the famous Storm of the
Century. We also experienced extremely harmful weather
conditions during the spring season, which have affected
sugarcane crops. Besides, the shortage of fuel at a certain
point also affected the sowing of cane. We had just a minimum
supply of herbicides and a small amount of fuel. In light of the
effort that is being made in the cane sector, a normal rainfall
year would have at least meant a relatively major increase in
our sugarcane production.
Yet, today at this time and under these circumstances, we
cannot fail to emphasize sugarcane crops next year and we will
do so through the sowing, the weeding of canefields, through the
recovery program, and through our search for fertilizers -- even
in small amounts -- so that we can use them for our cane crops,
because sugarcane crops become much more economical when the
yield per caballeria is higher. We need a higher yield of
sugarcane, higher sugar production, better performance by the
combines. It is not the same thing when combines are cutting
thin, weak canes as when those same combines, these same men,
cut strong, robust canes. All these factors are influential and
add up.
Yet, I have mentioned them here now so that you may have a
clear idea that there are other alternatives and note why we
must work with so much dedication, seriousness, and efficiency
in other respective areas. I believe this subject was properly
clarified yesterday and that our problems were adequately
specified. I believe it also became quite clear what we have to
do.
Comrade Hidalgo was today describing what they are doing
with
hydroponics, because $20 million has been invested in it.
However, it has not produced anything because of a lack of
fertilizers, lack of seeds, lack of textiles, lack of resources;
that is, textiles with technical procedures for summer
production. This work was allowing us to make considerable
savings by foregoing import of lettuce, tomatoes, and so forth.
You can imagine what it means to bring lettuce by plane, over
thousands of km. A rational use of those investments, combined
with tourism, made it possible for us to obtain significant
profits and savings, to obtain resources, to supply food and
resources to our people.
I liked Hidalgo's briefing very much. It was delivered in a
clear, precise, and eloquent way, and focused on what needs to
and must be done. I believe these briefings and analytical
reports are also a reflection of our current difficulties in the
special period. We will see what kind of a people we are and
what experiences we will have and what level of efficiency we
will achieve after overcoming today's difficulties. As may be
clearly understood, this is not an easy task. It is a task that
will not take one or two years. It is a task that will take
several years. Yet, this time will be shorter if we are
efficient in every respect. As with what we discussed here about
tourism, if we meet these requirements in every activity, then
we will be able to progress in many areas, in many areas
[repeats] and we will increase our current resourses because we
are working on many things.
Just as we are making demands in tourism, we must do the
same
with all other activities in the country, whether they require
advisers or not. We need advisers in some areas, in which
advisers are essential. In most of our activities, we do not
need advisers. I was citing a few examples. In most activities,
everything is up to each one of us.
I liked very much the remark by Sagarra to the effect that
authority is not inherited, that it must be earned in each job,
in each workplace, because no one has given Sagarra the
authority he has among boxers. He has earned this authority
through his example, through his dedication, through his work,
through his dignity, through his honor. This is why I was saying
yesterday that this can not be imported. I believe this idea
became quite clear at the assembly.
Yesterday we discussed the sciences with the same depth and
seriousness. We were able to clearly poinpoint our shortcomings
and weak spots, as well as how we have developed a tremendous
ability to research and create things, and to set up fabulous
research centers that would have nothing to envy in any similar
center in the world. We have excellent researchers who are in an
extremely young average age bracket. These collectives are
comprised of truly young researchers. We discussed ways to
create -- through the sciences, scientific products, through
pharmaceutical industries -- highly significant resources for
the country, not only to meet our demands, not only to continue
to guarantee health in our country, but also to meet
international needs and to create large resources for our
country.
A comrade said yesterday that science may become the main
source of income for our country. If this would be the case,
tourism would have a tremendous rival in science, in
biotechnology, and in the pharmaceutical industry. There are
international companies whose sales volumes amount to thousands
of millions, even tens of thousands of millions. Talent is
required to develop this industry. It is not like the steel
industry, which requires iron, large mines, large steel mills;
or like the petrochemical industry -- which we still do not have
-- which requires large deposits of oil and coal.
We do not know and we are in no position to know when we
will
have them because they require investments of thousands and tens
of thousands of millions of dollars. In contrast, science,
biotechnology, and the pharmaceutical industry require
relatively modest amounts of money and investments. Investments
are required here in human intelligence and we have made that
investment. This is the fundamental aspect. We have already made
that. We already have it.
This is an activity that can support itself. If we act with
the required intelligence we could make this activity into an
extremely important economic branch. Perhaps in this way we may
be able to rebuild what we lost when the socialist bloc
disappeared and the USSR collapsed.
We must also take into account the contribution sciences
have
already made to the health of our people and the contribution
made in that extremely difficult battle against the neuritis
epidemic, perhaps the greatest challenge we have ever faced. I
am saying this because I have firsthand information about the
effort made by these scientists, as I attended more than 100
hours of meetings I held with them, during the period of the
epidemic. I met with the operational group, with our scientists,
and with foreign scientists. I was also aware of the admiration,
the amazement elicited from the foreign scientists by Cuban
scientific achievements. We have an enormous field there, also,
to achieve our development.
We have discussed these topics and we have found that, for
the most part, we do not need the Spaniards, who have become a
sort of symbol of foreign advisors in light of the role they
play in tourism. It has been demostrated that we need only
ourselves, not the Spaniards. We need us, Cubans. This is the
reason we cannot forgive ourselves for being absent in these and
in many other activities in which we must be present with the
required full responsibility, the utmost seriousness, and honor.
Let us regret not the fact that others are helping us, but
the fact that we are not sufficiently helping ourselves, that we
are not sufficiently helping our country, that we are not
sufficiently helping the fatherland and the Revolution. It is to
no avail to be committed only to die and to sacrifice one's life
for these ideas, for this objective; we must also devote our
ideas, our interests, our dedication, our perseverance, and our
intelligence to this endeavor.
We must be committed to die for the fatherland, for the
Revolution, for socialism and its achievements -- when I say
achievements, I am always referring to those of socialism -- we
must be committed to die, but above all we must be committed to
win [applause].
Victory is and can only be within ourselves. Today we
discussed the food program. Briefings were given about the
effort made in our capital. It has been truly a praiseworthy
effort. More than a million Havana residents have participated
in agricultural camps in the past two and one-half years. I am
referring to those producing food, tubers, and vegetables, not
those mentioned by [Jorge] Lezcano [first secretary of the party
in Havana Province] concerning the involvement of Havana
residents in the sugar harvest.
Contingents were mobilized. It should be noted that
contingents were not created for agriculture. Contingents were
created for the construction sector. Dozens of camps were built
rapidly and dozens of contingents were organized, in addition to
the 15-day mobilizations to farm mixed crops, especially
plantain.
The usual rigorous selection standards could not be applied
in nominating the agriculture contingent members. Some brigades,
some contingents were complete, such as the Russeau contingent,
which worked in the Guine camp. I believe it was brigade No. 30.
[words indistinct] it often became necessary to organize
contingents with unemployed individuals. They did not have the
same discipline or the same stability. Despite all this, the
contingents have done a tremendous, tremendous job in
agriculture. So did those mobilized for 15 days.
There are, of course, activities that require broader
experience. For instance, the microjet plantain crops require
more specialized personnel than some other crops.
It has been discussed here whether contingents have been
successful in agriculture. A comrade discussed the concept of
the state-owned enterprise, the large enterprise. There is no
doubt that the large enterprise is the most efficient system of
production worldwide, because it allows the use of large-scale
techniques. Cane combines could be used only in fairly large
sugarcane fields in which the machines do not have to turn every
20 or 30 meters. It would be impossible to use cane combines in
a small plot. It would be impossible to use rice combines in a
small rice plot. It would be impossible to use planes for sowing
or fumigating small plots.
I would say that state-owned farms have achieved in our
country what could not have been achieved under any other
system. Plantations of thousands of hectares like those in
Jaguey, on the Isle of Youth, and others would have been
impossible without the state-owned enterprises. It would have
been impossible to develop livestock programs like the triangle
and the rectangle and many others without the state-owned
enterprises. It would have been impossible to produce rice with
irrigation projects -- dams included -- without the state-owned
enterprises. It would not have been possible to achieve this
otherwise, not even through CPA's [Agricultural-Livestock
Cooperatives].
It would have been impossible to plant 500 caballerias of
plantain under microject in less than three years in Havana
Province without the effort of the state-owned enterprises. This
is unquestionable. Now the object is to exploit that land and
those resources. The thing is that state-owned enterprises
experienced a situation similar to that of the East Havana
Tourist complex, which is a Panamerican tourist complex; to that
of Havana Libre; to that of the Riviera; to many factories and
industries; to schools; to ministries; to that experienced by
everyone.
They all experienced bloated personnel rosters, the tendency
to have excessive personnel, paternalism, the lack of
discipline, our super generous labor legislation, and all the
evils created by the Revolution. Let us say this sincerely, not
maliciously [chuckles], not out of love for the people or for
the workers, but out of an excess of love. An attempt was made
to deliver to the people and to the workers a paradise that had
not yet been built. It was thought that the idea of paradise was
attractive to the point that everyone would feel motivated to
build it.
Certainly, almost everyone was highly motivated to build the
paradise and worked in building it. We had created in part a
paradise, the most solid pillars of which were our economic
relations with the socialist bloc and the USSR because this was
the only thing we had. On the other side we have had the
permanent hostility and threat of imperialism, which forced us
to invest large resources to provide for our defense alone, and
the imperialist blockade which, with its enormous influence in
the world, has erected enormous hurdles to our development. We
had in part created a paradise. No other country has achieved
many of our accomplishments and gains.
Yet, the idea was conceived that we were already in paradise
and that with meditation alone one could get things done. The
advocates of absenteeism have other justifications and
explanations. They skipped work or worked only four or five
hours daily, when they had to work at least eight hours. All
that was tolerated. When every opportunity that could arise in
the world was created for everyone to do or to take whatever he
liked most, when opportunities were made available to all
children and youths. Work became more humane.
How many cane cutters were spared, thanks to the combines?
Three hundred thousand cutters. How many stevedores who were
shouldering 200 or 300 pounds were spared? Tens of thousands.
How many builders? Hundreds of thousands. How many rice cutters,
how many weed pickers were spared as a result of the use of
chemical products, herbicides, and so forth? How many milking
workers were replaced by electric milking machines? How much
hard work has the Revolution eliminated? How much more humane
did it made people's lives? Yet, parallel to this, the vices I
mentioned: lax standards, the easy path, etc., etc.
In other words, the agrarian enterprises suffered the same
problems but in addition, the state enterprises supplied 80
percent of the sugarcane, almost 100 percent of the rice, almost
100 percent of the pork, practically 100 percent of the 2.5
billion eggs consumed annually, almost 100 percent of the beef.
Some spoke of the farmers market as the great solution. However,
the farmers market supplied a minimal percentage of the products
consumed by the people.
However, we have taken a step and we have not hesitated in
taking it, a decisive and courageous measure because we saw that
it was necessary and appropriate under the circumstances we are
experiencing. The comrade who spoke here in representation of a
municipality discussed this issue. The new form, the UBPC [Basic
Cooperative Production Unit], which I have explained has a
definite character, is relevant to this moment.
This is a measure that had to be taken. We saw it as most
adequate and appropriate under these conditions but it is not a
reversible measure. It is not a measure that can be taken today
and that we can say, tomorrow, will be replaced by another. What
the UBPC's do tomorrow is their affair, in part, and in part
that of the PCC and the nation. If they turn out to be too
small, it might be better later to join them and make them
larger, with 50 instead of 25 caballerias. This might also
happen with the sugarcane UBPC's.
Today, it is a matter of exploiting these resources. It is a
definitive step in the hope that they work, that they turn out
to be efficient.
This is much more efficient than the creation of miniestates
because nowadays a larger enterprise cannot be managed with the
great shortage of gasoline, fuel, and transportation. We have to
make them smaller, more manageable. In addition, we also have to
conserve resources. Previously, a greater consumption of fuel
was affordable. Of course, where there is not enough control and
order, more fuel is wasted; where there is not enough control
and order, more herbicide is wasted; where there is not enough
control and order, fertilizers could be used less or more
effectively; where there is not enough control and order, land
can be readied better or worse.
Today, we have to seek maximum [production] with minimum
[consumption of] fuel, fertilizer, herbicides. We have noticed
that the best CAI's [Agroindustrial Complex] had lower
consumption of fuel, herbicides, and other products. This is
what we need today in the entire agriculture. Of course, in the
agricultural-livestock cooperative there was a more direct
connection between the workers and the results of production.
Production rates were demanding but, since managers were afraid
of losing workers, they tolerated lower rates and then, in order
to pay higher salaries, each manager became a Labor Ministry and
almost set the salaries. They set lower production rates so that
more could be completed in order for the worker to be paid more.
This did not happen in the CPA's.
Self-sufficiency was higher in the CPA's because it was
established on the farms, in the dining halls, etc. The
cooperatives had self-sufficiency not only for the worker but
also for his family because they lived in the area. The worker
felt closer to the result of production.
There was competition between the small farmer and the state
farm. The small farmer would take workers away from the state
farm or offer higher salaries because the cost of products
brought him greater profits. Whoever has one caballeria of
potatoes or other crops, such as tomatoes, can get higher
profits from higher prices and can offer higher salaries. He was
able to offer things the state farm could not because the small
farmer employed workers for 15, 20, 25 days, or a month, and the
state farm had the worker on its roster all year long.
The state farm was not about to leave the worker out on the
streets. The work force shortage was dropping [as heard] because
the development of the country, its educational institutions,
took hundreds of thousands of youths and farmers' children and
turned them into teachers, professors, doctors, engineers; gave
them college degrees; made them Interior Ministry officers,
Revolutionary Armed Forces officers. Nobody in the countryside
wanted to stay there for the rest of his life. This was a real
fact. There was not a single farmer who did not want his son to
be a medic, doctor, engineer, etc. There was no revolutionary
who did not want his son to be a doctor, professor, engineer,
etc. These are realities and we are speaking here of reality.
Every machine, every chemical product, all the herbicides,
all the machines used in ports and constructions, etc., were not
enough to compensate for the numbers of people moving into
intellectual activities. It can be done -- I am not saying the
contrary -- as long as you can maintain continuously growing
work productivity, as long as you can guarantee development that
allows for the use of all those resources, as long as there is
enough awareness, as long as there are proper controls, as long
as there is enough economic development so that material
incentives become the essential spring motivating work -- as
happens, for example, in capitalism -- as long as there is less
paternalism, as long as there is more demanding labor
legislation. In other words: Work productivity makes it
possible, to a high degree, to maintain a certain balance
between intellectual work and manual labor.
A highly developed economy allows for the presence of
sufficient products in the marketplace in order to strongly
stimulate work once money has reached its full value. In the
conditions under which the Cuban Revolution developed, we have
had to maintain the system of rationing all these years because
if we had [words indistinct] distribution on the basis of
prices, the consequences would have been disastrous for all the
workers and lower-income households. The idea of social justice
is something we cannot relinquish. We must find a way to
develop, while preserving social justice.
I wish to remind you that even the most developed societies
have terrible, unsolvable economic problems -- unemployment is
rising like foam. It could be said that unemployment is the
number one scourge of the developed capitalist world, which grew
by exploiting the rest of the world. These countries are facing
truly difficult times, which they have not been able to solve,
nor is there a solution in sight. With this, I wish to say that
the solution does not, nor can it, lie in capitalism; even less
so in underdeveloped capitalism, when developed capitalism is
experiencing a terrible tragedy which maddens and gnaws away at
politicians.
I wish to say that these problems can be solved only through
socialism, but a socialism done correctly, a socialism done
right, implemented correctly. [applause] These problems can only
be solved with work, by working. What cannot be done in any
society, be it capitalist or socialist, is to solve problems
without work. These are realities we must acknowledge. We must
be aware of them. We see the problems of the world and the
problems of the underdeveloped world. If the tragedy is great in
the developed countries, you can imagine what it is like in the
rest of the world.
The solution is clear. This is why we do not abandon, will
never abandon our ideas, nor the principles of Marxism and
Leninism, even less the principles of Marti. [applause] There
are no other ideas that can replace these, nor another system
that can replace this one. No other system has a future.
Capitalism has no future. Capitalism is chaos. It is a struggle
among the players. The struggle that Lenin spoke of will come
next, the struggle among the great powers to divide and control
the markets. This can result in war and who knows how many other
problems in the world.
There are many unresolved problems. Environmental problems
remain unsolved and there is no hope for a solution. The mad
race to destroy nature continues, the use of resources that
results in climactic changes. We know this better than anyone
else. We have seen the weather change. The atmosphere is being
polluted with carbon dioxide. The ozone layer is being
destroyed. The seas, rivers, and lakes are being poisoned.
Mankind is far from solving these problems. The population
continues to grow at an accelerated rate. Every second there are
more and more people in the world; with each year that passes,
there are 100 million more inhabitants in the world.
Unfortunately, mankind is far from solving its dire problems.
I cannot comprehend how mankind's problems can be solved by
leaving development to chance, to the mad, savage confrontation
between men and nations. This is why we must defend and preserve
those values and ideas we have secured, no matter how difficult
the circumstances. Even if it means that we need to mend things,
readapt, create openings, seek new ways, new sectors; even if we
need to introduce changes and reforms. This is imposed by
reality, by the current situation in the world. This is demanded
by our own experience. We need to do all this; we need to
perfect things.
I would say that this was a meeting of analysis and
contemplation on how to improve things, how we ought to do
things. This is an enormous field. This process must be directed
by the party. Only the party can direct this process which
cannot be left to chance; it must be directed. This is what our
party is doing.
It is encouraging to see how many possibilities exist. This
is clear, but in order to do it, we need the Revolution, the
fatherland, and socialism. [applause] Let no one in the world
become confused and believe that we are abandoning socialism
because we are creating joint enterprises, or that we are
abandoning socialism because we allow foreign investments in
those areas we need to, or that we are abandoning socialism
because we make as many associations as possible. Let no one
believe that we are abandoning socialism just because we
authorize self-employment to our problem, an excess of human
resources. Many problems can be resolved through this. Let no
one believe that we are abandoning socialism because we are
organizing UBPC's [coughs] because this is socialism.
The state is giving the agriculture workers billions.
[coughs] The value of our cattle, tractors, plows, equipment,
plantations, we are giving to the farmers. We are handing out
approximately 300,000 caballerias. We are making them available
to the workers. We are not selling them to foreigners, nor are
we mortgaging them. We are giving what we have built for over 30
years to the workers of the state agrarian enterprises. That is
socialism.
We are giving any piece of available land anywhere to
someone
who can plant and tend it so that it is not fallow. Anywhere
there is an isolated plot, or a caballeria, or half a
caballeria, or whatever, for tobacco or any type of crop, we
give away to a farmer or a household willing to tend it. This
does not mean we are abandoning socialism. This is helping
socialism because if that caballeria is not planted, it does not
help socialism. If that caballeria is planted and produces 200
of 300 quintals of tobacco, it is helping socialism, and
everything we do helps socialism. [applause]
However, we are willing to take whatever practical measures
are necessary, to create whatever opening is required; yes,
under the leadership of the party and under the leadership of
the workers. Not under the leadership of hoarders, or the
bourgeoisie, or capitalists, but under the leadership of the
people, the workers, under the leadership of the proletariat.
Yes, the proletariat, why not say it, since this is a
proletariat Revolution. [long applause]
We have had the courage to confront imperialism at a time
when it has tightened its blockade, at a time when it is holding
the greatest power in the world, at a time when it is exerting
its greatest influence over the world, when the socialist bloc
has already disappeared, when the USSR has already
disintegrated, amid our special period, and when all those
calamities have suddenly come upon us, overnight. We may thus
take pride in our courage, in our firmness, in the strength of
our people, in our ability to endure the test we are now
undergoing, and in our ability to tackle problems and seek
solutions.
Thus, the final segment of discussions at the assembly has
been of utmost significance. That part focused on ideological
aspects. It focused on the struggle, on our fight. It focused on
the role of our party at this time, under such difficult
circumstances. The assembly of the party in the capital, this
assembly of the communists of the capital merits ample praise
because this has been an assembly of frontline combatants who
are tackling the most difficult problems, and who are facing
major obstacles.
The task we are undertaking today is not easy for either the
party or for the party militants. It is difficult. It is more
difficult than ever before. The task lying ahead of our party
cadres is not easy either. It is exhausting. We are daily
encountering heaps of problems.
We are discussing strategy here today, not daily problems. I
know that many fellow countrymen of the capital would have liked
us to discuss transportation and distribution services,
blackouts, calamities, and the like; or that the fight against
crime be discussed here. I understand this topic was widely
discussed at the grassroots level, that the issue was discussed
over and over again at the municipal level. We are working hard
in this area. There was no time to discuss all of these topics
here because we have been discussing ideas, strategies. If these
strategies are successful, then many of these problems will be
resolved. If these strategies are successful, we will have
sufficient fuel someday.
I have not yet discussed the fuel situation here. We have
entered into risk contracts with many companies for research,
prospecting and drilling of oil. We have associated ourselves
with foreign companies in the area of prospecting and
exploitation of oil. We will not stop until the remotest area of
the country has been prospected for oil with the most advanced
technology. [applause]
We are undertaking this work with the capital supplied by
these companies. If oil is found, we will pay them and give them
a share of the profits obtained from that oil. There is no room
for theory or doubt in this respect. Either we do this, or we
will have to wait for the Greek calends to come before we can
prospect for oil. This is a price we have to pay; it is a
concession we have to make. Just to give an example, if one day
we obtain 20 million [not further specified], even if we have to
give away 5 million of it, there is no telling what we would be
able to do with the remaining 15 million, taking into account
how much we have learned about ways to save. This can be done
without surrendering the country or the government to anyone.
[applause]
That is capital that has been invested in a country, but no
capital can buy a country. No capital will govern our country
because one of the things our foreign partners admire most is
the honesty of our rulers. I am not going to deny -- and no one
else is going to deny this either -- that one may see a bit of
everything on every level, that many things are poorly done.
Discussed here were the tricks used concerning those famous
purchase cards, or in any store selling commodities or handling
hard currency, etc. Wherever there are assets, there are always
risks. And we have to implement control measures, technical
measures, everything that could be instrumental in deterring
that habit engendered by individual ambition, selfishness, and
necessities. We are living amid great shortages, but I know that
where more robberies occur is where there is more abundance. In
general, where fewer robberies occur is where there is less
abundance.
There is widespread corruption among politicians worldwide.
One needs only read the newspapers to see this. We may proudly
state that that corruption does not exist among our politicians,
and it does not exist among our rulers because no one has yet
been able to invest a single cent here in bribing a minister, in
paying off a minister, or anyone having similar
responsibilities. This fact has created a tremendous impression
on those coming here to discuss business and investments. They
have so stated. Besides, they have commented on what happens
elsewhere, which simply does not occur here. So, no one may come
here with his money to pay off leaders of the party or to pay
off state leaders. Let it be clearly understood that people here
consider everyone a leader. In some places, it is enough to lead
three people to be called a leader [laughter]. When I talk about
leaders of the party and of the state, I am talking about those
leaders who are in positions to make fundamental, strategic
decisions.
No one has been able to invest a single cent here in this
respect. Nor do we have to issue warnings to anyone. True
revolutionaries preclude this possibility from their mindframes.
Anyone who unfortunately falls into that is aware that his
action will not be tolerated. He knows that neither the people,
the party, the government, nor anyone will tolerate that. We are
trying to be increasingly rigorous in this respect, in checking
the behavior of our cadres. We have never tired and will never
tire of raising this issue, and all the more reason in these
difficult times, all the more reason now when there is an
opening because openings have brought different problems to
various places, because money goes back and forth. In general,
the capitalist world is shrewd, it knows how to impress people
and it seeks to neutralize, influence, gain favor, bribe people
at a certain level, someone who could favor a deal, a purchase.
There are thousands of people who are participating in these
activities.
These types of measures entail these types of risks. As I
was
explaining here yesterday, tourism entails certain risks. And we
must prepare to face them and fight them. A human being is a
human being. Sagarra says that each individual is different from
another, that each person has a world of his own. The good thing
about humans is that, although they are natural beings having
both material and spiritual needs, with problems and
phychological complexities, human beings are the only ones
capable of leading a civilized life, capable of uniting, closing
ranks, fighting for great ideas.
Human beings are capable of exhibiting both vice and virtue.
They are capable of vices, of major vices, but they are also
capable of great virtues, of great heroic actions.
As the history of the Revolution has been written, how could
it have been written without remembering those who fell, those
who have given everything they had, from 1868 until today,
during the time of our clandestine fight in the mountains, in
our fight against bandits, in our fight against terrorist
elements, in our fight to defend the country, in our fight in
compliance with internationalist missions. We should not always
focus on human flaws. We should keep them in mind and fight
them. We must focus on highly stimulating things such as human
virtue. We should never forget the virtues of our people.
Our people one day sent dozens of thousands of teachers, and
another day sent hundreds of thousands of internationalist
combatants and workers. I believe that if someday, an olympiad
is organized to determine which country has reached the highest
level of internationalism, Cuba would win the gold medal by a
wide margin. [applause]
And why are our people resisting, and why are our people
fighting in circumstrances such as these? They are doing it not
only because they know there is no alternative but to resist --
because there is no other alternative than victory, because we
do not want to become a colony, because we do not want to become
another Miami -- they are not fighting only because of that,
they are fighting primarily out of dignity, honor, patriotism,
principles, and revolutionary spirit. [applause]
We know that no one is going to give us a single drop of
oil,
that no one is going to provide our well-being, that no one will
ever be able to give us what only through our effort, our work,
our intelligence, our courage will we be able to achieve.
[applause]
Yet, if it were possible, or if utopia were offered to us in
exchange for surrendering our honor, our dignity as men, and our
freedom, we would never accept utopia at such price. [applause]
Let us defend our Revolution, let us defend our fatherland
as
energetically as we can, as courageously as we can, and with all
our spiritual strength. Let us fight without wavering. Let us
fight relentlessly. The more difficult the circumstances, the
higher our morale ought to be, [applause] the higher our spirit
ought to be, the stronger our resolve ought to be.
Today we might say that to be a member of the party cadres
in
the capital is a true honor, a true privilege. [applause]
I wish to congratulate you, communists of the capital. Let
us
shout today more loudly and with greater conviction than ever:
Socialism or death, fatherland or death, we will win. [Delegates
repeat after Castro] [applause]